Death Valley Biome
Information about Death Valley by: Ali Anwar
Intro
Death valley is one of many desert biomes in the world. Many deserts have the same threats and problems like Death Valley. The most common threat to all deserts is off-road driving. There are many other threats harming the desert. To be a desert it depends on how much precipitation the biome gets. Many organisms live here and adapt in different ways.
Where is Death Valley Located?
Death valley is located in the United States in California by the border line of Nevada. It is by the top East area.
Bobcats
To adapt in this biome they have special features like long legs and big paws to help them get around. Also some can camouflage with the environment to protect them from their predators.
Cobras
Cobras are very strong in the deserts. They are sneaky and very quick while attacking. When being attacked they try to scare off their predator by raising 1/3 of their body in the air. Also they are cold-blooded which means they are the same temperature the environment is.
Lizards
Lizards are cold-blooded and can also adapt by having their spikes scare predators off. Not all of them have venomous bites only two do. So they also act like they are venomous to their predators. They camouflage with the environment and wait until they catch their prey.
Coyotes
Coyotes are smart in the way they adapt. They hunt animals when they are alone. They usually only attack when the prey is alone. Their speed can outrun predators. Also they usually stalk their prey and then go attack when they least expect it.
Desert Tortoises
Desert tortoises can adapt in temperature reaching 146 degrees Fahrenheit! They do this by getting in a burrow and going underground where it is cooler. They can live about a year without water. They get water from plants mostly. They defend themselves by putting their fins and head inside their shell and act like a solid rock.
_-=Desert Plants!=-_
Ocotillo
This cactus is similar to all cacti except for the shape and where the spines go. All cacti have roots and stems to suck in water from the ground before it evaporates. Then it is saved for when the cactus needs it. This cacti is very tall at an adult age. They can grow up to more than 5 feet tall!
Prickly Poppies
This plant is special in my opinion because it can has venom that would poison anyone who harms it. They are tall and can usually grow up to 4 feet high!
Creosote Bush
This plant can live with 2 years of no water! They also take in water from their roots from the ground before it evaporates.
Blue Flax
These plants attract many organisms. Its colors are beautiful and it takes water from the ground. However, this plant does not need much water. It grows with the energy of the sun and very little water.
Saguaro Cactus
This plant is very tall and is much like other cacti. The spines hurt any animal that tries to eat it. Not only that but they give it a shade so that the water inside doesn't get evaporated. They also collect water by roots from the ground.
Climate
Death Valley is the hottest and one of the driest deserts in the whole world. The average temperature in the day is about 87 to 101 degrees fahrenheit. However, at night it gets much cooler and quiet. At night the average temperature is 66 degrees fahrenheit. This place barely gets any precipitation. Average precipitation a year is 2.33 inches of precipitation.
Threat
Like many deserts Death Valley also has the same kind of threats. In my opinion and other scientist's opinion, off-road vehicles are the major threat. Not only are they giving off fuel to go in the atmosphere which causes global warming, but they also ruin soil for plants. Plants are a huge part in the desert because they contain water and many animals rehydrate themselves from those plants. Many animals live in burrows, and vehicles can run over them destroying habitats and can kill organisms. Many don't realize this is a threat, but those who do are trying to stop it by stopping vehicles from entering the desert.